-----Original Message----- From: Women Organizing for Change Alert List (USA) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Women Leaders Online Sent: Monday, November 15, 1999 2:27 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: WOC Alert 11/15/99 - Burst the Trial Balloon; PBS: Patriarchal Broadcast System?; ERA Warriors' Reunion WOC Alert 11/15/99 - Burst the Trial Balloon; PBS: Patriarchal Broadcast System?; ERA Warriors' Reunion 1. BURST THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S TRIAL BALLOON 2. PBS: PATRIARCHAL BROADCAST SYSTEM? 3. ERA WARRIORS' REUNION BURST THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION'S TRIAL BALLOON Over the weekend, the Clinton Administration floated a trial balloon that the President might be willing to accept the right wing's anti-abortion, anti-birth control, anti-woman amendment on the legislation to pay the U.S.' back dues to the United Nations. We must protest immediately to prevent this from happening. This latest salvo is cynicism to the nth degree. Chris Smith (R-NJ), with his fellow travelers Jesse Helms, et. al, saw their amendment as a win-win for their side - the forces of war and devastation. If Clinton refused to sign the bill because of the anti-abortion language, our nation would no longer be a leader at the United Nations, an institution that the right despises. We would no longer be able to function at the UN and cooperate with other nations to attempt to prevent war and protect peace. And if Clinton signs it with the anti-abortion rider, they get kudos from their fanatical right wing supporters, and can make hollow statements about "protecting life." But make no mistake; this bill is about death, not life. ONE WOMAN DIES EVERY THREE MINUTES WORLDWIDE FROM LACK OF ACCESS TO SAFE BIRTH CONTROL AND ABORTION. In countries where abortion is illegal, the major cause of ma ternal death is from women's desperate choice of unsafe, illegal abortion. AND 35,000 CHILDREN STARVE TO DEATH EACH DAY BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS CANNOT AFFORD TO FEED THEM. If Clinton signs this bill, even with some flimflam rider, he will be saying that he only cares about the lives of women and children in the U.S., and then mostly in terms of their political support. And if he signs it b ecause he doesn't hear loud and clear protests from the U.S. feminist movement, we will be saying that we only care about our own families and our own lives, not our sisters worldwide. We cannot let that happen. ACTION: Time is crucial. Contact the White House immediately and tell the president that there can be no compromise on women's lives. (And it wouldn't hurt to point out that this issue will be part of your decision about whom t o support in 2000!). Email Bill Clinton at <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>. Call and fax the President, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Al Gore (9-5 EST M-F only; guess they haven't heard of automated response systems -- that woul d help enfranchise those who can't call from work) at 202/456-1111 (p-Presidential comment line), 202/456-1414 (p-White House Switchboard), 202/456-2461 (White House fax) PBS: PATRIARCHAL BROADCAST SYSTEM? Some of us were feeling kindly towards PBS last week. On Sunday and Monday nights (November 7 & 8), PBS broadcast, "Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony," a documentary by fam ed filmmaker Ken Burns, along with Paul Barnes. This documentary details the extraordinary partnership of Stanton and Anthony, who together led the movement to give women the right to vote. Burns began this project afte r realizing that these women and their contribution to perhaps the most significant social change movement in history were virtually unknown and unheralded in history and in culture. Burns said that he felt this omission had to be corrected, for his daughters and all our children. Of course, George Will hasn't waxed rhapsodic over "Not for Ourselves Alone," as he did over Burn's opus on baseball. And the non-violent nature of the suffrage struggle isn't evoking the same discussions of noble martyr hood that Burn's work, "The Civil War" brought forth. But the suffragists' work is profoundly important, and must be recognized and honored. But "Not for Ourselves Alone," was profoundly atypical for PBS. Indeed, PBS too often stands for Patriarchal Broadcast System, attacking feminism and advancing the right wing's agenda. And the Feminist Coalition on Publi c Broadcasting, convened by FAIR (of which WOC/WLO is a member) needs your help to change that. Here are the details from FAIR: On November 9, 1999, representatives from a national coalition of over 30 feminist, progressive groups and individuals--including Barbara Ehrenreich, Gloria Steinem, the National Organization for Women, the Feminist Major ity Foundation, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and a variety of women and men from the labor, black, Latina and South Asian grassroots communities--met with PBS to discuss why a recent anti-feminist series was p resented by the network as impartial journalism. Of particular concern was that the series aired in the context of a PBS lineup that, overall, under-represents women and people of color. Organized by FAIR's Women's Desk, the Feminist Coalition on Public Broadcasting emerged in response to a three-part documentary on the "gender wars" that PBS distributed last April as part of its National Desk public affa irs series. The show claimed it sought to address whether women's rights could be advanced without "a retreat" on the part of men, and stated that efforts to achieve gender equity had created "a time bomb ticking at the foundation of our society." Episode titles included "The War on Boys" and "Title IX & Women in Sports: What's Wrong With This Picture?" Largely funded by right-wing foundations, the series was filled with inaccuracies and misinformation, and presented a relentlessly anti-woman, anti-feminist perspective--yet it was packaged by PBS as impartial journalism. In the November 9 meeting, representatives from the Coalition conveyed their concern that the "gender wars" series is only the latest evidence of the larger imbalance in PBS programming, which routinely under-represents w omen, people of color, gays and lesbians, and a whole host of public interest groups. On behalf of its membership, the Coalition requested that PBS: * Adhere to a single set of programming guidelines, and make them available to the public. (It is not clear how the ideologically driven National Desk series met basic journalistic standards.) * Support a series on gender equity hosted and produced by feminists, equivalent in length and topical urgency to National Desk's series on the "gender wars." * Air at least one weekly news/public affairs program with a feminist, progressive host. (There is no weekly progressive forum on PBS.) * Outline a clear plan to increase the numbers of women and people of color appearing as sources, guests and hosts on PBS shows. During the meeting, PBS offered to send the Coalition a copy of its programming guidelines, but would not explain how the National Desk series--which featured experts and hosts whose work is funded by the same groups that bankrolled the series--had met guidelines that, as PBS has stated in the past, preclude ev en the "perception" of conflict of interest. PBS did concede, however, that the fact that some National Desk underwriters--namely, the conservative John M. Olin, Lynde and Harry Bradley, and Sarah Scaife foundations--have funded several PBS programs in the past was a consideration in whether or not to distribute the "gender wars" series. Presented with the Coalition's careful documentation of the series' factual inaccuracies (available online at http://www.fair.org/feminist-coalition.html), PBS promised to launch its own investigation of the matter. But when asked what mechanism was in place to alert viewers when a broadcast like National Desk aired incorrect information, Sandy Heberer, PBS's director of news and information programming, said only, "We'll cross that brid ge if we come to it." PBS did not agree to revisit the topic of gender equity with a public affairs series comparable to National Desk. In response to the Coalition's suggestion that the network balance its lineup with a progressive news or public affairs program, PBS stated that while it was willing to entertain proposals for new programming, "talking he ads" shows did not represent a "growth area" for PBS. When the Coalition clarified that it was not requesting more such shows, but a more balanced spectrum of shows, PBS did not reply. ACTION: It is crucial that PBS hear loud and clear that the public supports the Coalition's demands for fair representation and diversity, and rejects the idea that shows like the National Desk series can be presented as impartia l news. Please call or write PBS today, both at their national offices and at your local station. Send a copy of all your correspondence with PBS to us at FAIR, 130 W 25th St., New York, NY 10001; FAX 212-727-7668, <fair@ fair.org> SEND LETTERS TO: *PBS's national offices: John Wilson, Vice President of Program Scheduling & Editorial Management, Public Broadcasting Service, 1320 Braddock Place, Alexandria, VA 22314 EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED], or fill out the form at http://www.pbs.org/voice/em ailform.htm PHONE: (703) 739-5000, FAX: (703) 739-0775 *Your local PBS station: http://www.pbs.org/stations/ (This web page lists all local station addresses, phone numbers and emails.) Detailed background on PBS and National Desk is available online at http://www.fair.org/feminist-coalition.html ERA WARRIORS' REUNION If you were one of the hundreds of thousands of feminist who marched, lobbied, wrote letters, gave money or otherwise "Changed your life for the ERA," you have another reason to be in Baltimore next Spring. . ERA Warrior s are being sought for a special ERA Campaign Reunion and Tribute as part of the Feminist Majority's "Feminist Expo 2000 for Women's Empowerment," the first coming-together of the feminist movement in the 21st Century, wh ich is being held March 31 - April 2 at the Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland. (Point your browser to http://www.feminist.org for details.) The Expo itself will be incredibly exciting, drawing the largest indoor gathering of feminists since the 1977 National Women's Conference. Of course, Women Organizing for Change/Women Leaders Online will have a large del egation of shameless e-agitators. But for the folks who went to Washington, Illinois, Oklahoma, Florida, Nevada, Indiana or the rest of the unratified nation to work for the ERA, it will be a terrific opportunity to see lots of familiar faces and stroll down the activist memory lane. (And you thought you wouldn't get this chance until we all meet at the Old Feminists Home!) ACTION: Let the Feminist Majority know that you are an ERA Veteran by sending your name, address, phone, email and details of your ERA activities to [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you haven't registered yet for the Expo itself, register online at FM's website. And make sure you let us know that you'll be there ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) so we can make sure you are part of the WOC/WLO delegation. AND NOW, A NOTE FROM OUR SPONSOR: If you have not yet become a member of Women Leaders Online, we really need your support. Your contribution of $100, $50, $25, $10 -- or whatever you can spare -- will help keep our financially-challenged but dedicated staff paid and our alerts flying across the Net. In addition, contributing members are entitled to participate in our interactive e-mail discussion lists, including WLO-News, WLO-Media, and many state lists -- visit http://wlo.org and press "Discuss" for details. So please send your contribution today to: Women Leaders Online, P.O. Box 11019, Washington, DC 20008, with your e-mail address on your check. You can also contribute securely by credit card by visiting http://wlo.org/join.html and clicking on the credit card icon. Jeanne Clark, Executive Director ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Please Post Widely! 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